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CrossFit gym hoping to find bone marrow match for local Sailor with leukemia

Posted at 8:47 PM, Jun 14, 2018
and last updated 2018-06-15 10:06:45-04

NORFOLK, Va. - A CrossFit gym is taking action to help a 20-year-old Sailor who was diagnosed with leukemia. Michael Gomez has been going to CrossFit Little Creek for about eight months. Owner Corey Coleman said he's a big part of the gym, which made learning about the diagnosis so much harder.

"One of the strongest guys in the gym. He's got a deadlift nearing 500 lbs.," said Coleman.

But instead of doing snatches or clean and jerks, he's in the hospital fighting Leukemia.

"It's terrible. He's 20 years old. It's a devastating disease and we're looking forward to helping him overcome it," said Coleman.

CrossFit Little Creek will be holding a party June 30 from 11:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. to find Gomez a bone marrow match. People can come in and get a free workout, but they have to be okay with a cheek swab and being put on the bone marrow registry.

"Not only could we potentially be helping him and our local community, but people who are suffering from leukemia and other blood diseases across the nation," said Coleman.

Donations will also be accepted and will go to Gomez's family. Coleman said this is the best idea they could come up with to help Gomez get back to where he wants to be: in the gym. Until then, Coleman said he'll think about the better times with Gomez.

"My favorite memory is one we got photos of. When he came in here and hit an awesome deadlift and he had to actually use bands to hold the weight on the bar because he had much on there," Coleman laughed.